BACKGROUND Human resources play a critical role in encouraging efficient performance within organisations, especially for public healthcare organisations, where competences of staff are key aspects of the quality of services provided. In this context, the enhancement of competences are strategic objectives for Human Resources Management (HRM) in order to achieve excellent and lasting results. However, competences of healthcare professionals are both clinical and managerial. This study identifies specific managerial competences perceived as crucial by healthcare professionals in order to improve their performance and develop suitable HRM practices. METHODS The research methodology was divided into three main phases using mixed methods, commencing with literature review to identify the initial framework about managerial competences. Focus groups were then used to discuss evidence from the literature. Feedback from focus groups was used to draft the final questionnaire. Finally, the answers to the questionnaire were analysed through statistical software. RESULTS The results show that managers and professionals share a view of what specific managerial competences for healthcare organisations should be. Main competences are quality evaluation based on outcomes; enhancement of professional competences; programming based on process management; project cost assessment; informal communication style; and participatory leadership. CONCLUSIONS Although the issue of managerial skills in healthcare is widely discussed in literature, findings are often fragmentary. Our work includes a systematic literature review useful for more empirical studies. Furthermore, our results can support public managers who want to set up positive HRM practices for healthcare professionals.BACKGROUND The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in China has been declared a public health emergency of international concern. The cardiac injury is a common condition among the hospitalized patients with COVID-19. However, whether N terminal pro B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) predicted outcome of severe COVID-19 patients was unknown. METHODS The study initially enrolled 102 patients with severe COVID-19 from a continuous sample. After screening out the ineligible cases, 54 patients were analyzed in this study. The primary outcome was in-hospital death defined as the case fatality rate. Research information and following-up data were obtained from their medical records. RESULTS The best cut-off value of NT-proBNP for predicting in-hospital death was 88.64?pg/mL with the sensitivity for 100% and the specificity for 66.67%. Patients with high NT-proBNP values (&gt;?88.64?pg/mL) had a significantly increased risk of death during the days of following-up compared with those with low values (?88.64?pg/mL). After adjustment for potential risk factors, NT-proBNP was independently correlated with in-hospital death. CONCLUSION NT-proBNP might be an independent risk factor for in-hospital death in patients with severe COVID-19. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/ici-118551-ici-118-551.html TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials, NCT04292964. Registered 03 March 2020.BACKGROUND Patient safety culture is defined as a product of individual and group values, attitudes, perceptions, competencies, and patterns of behavior that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an organization's health and safety management. Factors influencing healthcare workers' working environment such as working hours, the number of night shifts, and the number of days off may be associated with patient safety culture, and the association pattern may differ by profession. This study aimed to examine the relationship between patient safety culture and working environment. METHODS Questionnaire surveys were conducted in 2015 and 2016. The first survey was conducted in hospitals in Japan to investigate their patient safety management system and activities and intention to participate in the second survey. The second survey was conducted in 40 hospitals; 100 healthcare workers from each hospital answered a questionnaire that was the Japanese version of the Hospital Survey on Patientthe number of night shifts, and the number of days off may differently influence patient safety culture in physicians and nurses.BACKGROUND Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the causative agent of porcine circovirus-associated disease (PCVAD). Its prevalence in swine herds was first reported in China in 2000. PCV2 infection causes immunosuppression that leads to multiple diseases, causing serious economic problems for the swine industry in China. Since information on the genetic variation of PCV2 in Yunnan province is limited, this study aims to investigate the molecular epidemiological and evolutionary characteristics of PCV2 from 2016 to 2019. METHODS A total of 279 clinical samples were collected from different regions of Yunnan between 2016 to 2019, and PCV2 was detected by PCR. We then amplified full genomes from the positive samples, and the sequences were analysed for homology and genetic evolution. RESULTS Overall, 60.93% (170/279) of the screened swine herd samples were positive for PCV2. We sequenced 15 Yunnan province PCV2 strains from positive samples. Analyses of the complete genomes and Cap genes led to the classification of the 15 Yunnan PCV2 strains into PCV2a (2 of 15), PCV2b (1of 15) and PCV2d (12 of 15). All strains shared 94.3-99.9% of their identities with the nucleotide sequences of complete genomes in this study and shared 94.2-99.9% identity with the reference sequences. All strains share 89.4-100% and 86.8-100% of their identities with the nucleotide and amino acid (aa) sequences of Cap, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study provide evidence that PCV2a, PCV2b and PCV2d genotypes coexisted in Yunnan Province from 2016 to 2019, and the priority prevalence genotype was PCV2d. The data provide evidence for the increased genetic diversity and insights into the molecular epidemiology of PCV2. This study also provides basic data for the Yunnan province PCV2 molecular epidemiological survey and accumulates effective materials for the development of PCV2 vaccines.